GURUGRAM: The health department on Friday terminated the services of 629 National Health Mission ( NHM workers , who have been on strike, for not reporting to work since February 5.According to the officials, the health department had been threatening to sack workers if they did not report to work, and the protesters were issued notices on Thursday that warned them about disciplinary action being initiated against them. clause in the NHM workers’ contract states, “Wilful absent from duty for a period of more than 7 days, in one or more spells, shall be deemed to be liable for the termination of contract.”However, the workers didn’t pay heed to the notice and on Friday announced extension of their strike, called for equal pay and job security, by three more days. “We were given 24 hours to resume our duties, but we refused to do so till our demands are met by the department,” said Hariraj, state general secretary of NHM workers.This did not go down well with the authorities, who on Friday evening sacked 629 NHM workers in Gurugram, 591 workers in Faridabad and 550 NHM workers in Mewat. With 629 workers being sacked in Gurugram, the city is left with only 21 NHM workers.According to sources, as NHM workers were posted in prime positions in hospitals and health centres, the termination would directly affect 3,500 OPD patients who visit government hospitals and health centres on a daily basis.Kamla Devi (68), a resident of Rajindra Park, said that she had to wait for nearly three hours at the Civil Hospital before doctors attended her grandson who has been running a high fever from past few days. Admissions to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and general ward in government hospitals have also seen a dip as patients are being referred to other hospitals.

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